Stringed musical instrument



June 2, 1931. E. MOOR I 1,807,746

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed April 10, 1930 J]? men for fi'malnael 17002" Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMANUEL MOOR, OF MONT PELERIN SUR VEVEY, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR OF PART INTEREST TO THE FIRM OF C. BECHSTEIN, PIANOFORTEFABRIK A. G., OF BERLIN,

GERMANY STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed April 10, 1930, Serial No. 443,182, and in Germany April 17, 1929.

This invention refers to stringed instru ments generally, that is to say to instruments of the kind referred to which are either manipulated by playing by the engagement of a bow or by striking the strings with the fingers, sticks or the like such as mandolins, guitars, and the like and it is particularly intended among other important advantages to devise means of increasing the fullness of the sound produced by such instruments without in any way interfering with the usual character and peculiarity of the acoustic qualities of the instrument. In its further aspect-s the invention is intended to simplify and cheapen the costs of manufacture and to produce other important advantages which will appear from the specification in connection with the drawing.

'Broadly considered, the invention provides for a bipartite sectional construction of the cover plate of the instrument by which means uniformly curved sections which are vaulted or curved in the same direction and are symmetrically disposed with relation to a longi tudinal central plane of the instrument are obtained which produce an increase of the tension of the resounding boards. This increase of tension may be still further assisted by a suitable configuration of the resounding board or equivalent parts which is so arranged as to providefor a greater height of the instrument at the lower end or chin end thereof as compared with the constructions of instruments of this kind as disclosed by the previous art, the longitudinal sectional area of the instrument decreasing in the direction of its length towards the neck end thereof so as to obtain at least the usual height of such instruments at this end. By this peculiar configuration the musical instruments according to this invention are distinguished from the instruments as previously constructed which, though providing for a continuous narrowing of the resounding body in the longitudinal direction towards the neck section thereof fail to disclose the sectional, and particularly bisectional construction. of the covering board and the curved or vaulted arrangement of this board and the bottom of the instrument. It should further be Upon the accompanying drawings the invention is shown in several embodiments by way of exemplification, as applied for instance to a violin shown in side view in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Fig. 2 is a plan view seen from a awe and showing the covering board.

In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown diagrammatically and in cross sectional view two different modifications of the construction of the main body of the instrument with differently arched bottom.

In the violin shown as an example in the drawing the covering board a comprises two outwardly convexed sections 71. and z' of uniform curvature and symmetrically arranged with relation to the longitudinal central plane of the device and consisting of boards of wood of uniform thickness and engaging with their confronting sides at the middle of the instrument, so as to form a longitudinally extending furrow or depression. The two sections may be glued together by means of a strip or rail is. The arched bottom I) of the instrument is likewise composed of a plate or board of wood of uniform thickness and of uniform curvature and presenting outwardly convex surfaces in the eXem lification according to Figures 1 to 3 o the drawings. The cover forming and bottom forming boards of the instrument may be somewhat recessed as seen from above so as to result in slightly constricted parts in the bridge carrying section of the instrument. The top and bottom of the main part of the instrument are connected by means of a border strip d. which preferably comprises a piece of wood of uniform thickness which may be subdivided in the longitudinal direction and comprises portions of different width in accordance with the lateral conca-ving of the parts of the top and bottom of the instrument. By this means the arching or vaulting of the various parts of the top or cover and of the bottom is increased,

which results in advantageous increased ten- 10o sion of these parts. The resounding body is of continuously decreasing height, so that at the chin portion its height exceeds that of the ordinary violin or chord instrument generally, the height gradually decreasing to at the bow on the outer chords near the edges becomes possible without any substantial indentations in the bridge portion of the instrument, and the resounding surface is also increased as compared with previous constructions. The bridge of the instrument is supported by one of its feet upon the top section it and 2' respectively. The thickness of the wood may be reduced in. consequence of this bipartite construction of the top and the separate position of the bridge upon different parts of the cover board. By this means the possibility of free oscillation and the resounding qualities of the entire cover or top are increased.

The bottom of the instrument may also be modified in accordance with Fig. & of the drawings so as to present a concave outer surface, and it should be noted that in this case as well as in the modification described with relation to Figures 1 and 2 this curvature should be unlform, so as to exclude und ulatory configuration as provided for in some of the older constructions.

It should also be understood that the invention has been shown herein in its broad features only, and the scope thereof is not restricted to the particular modifications herein shown and described by way of illustration and exemplification, and further modifications are admissible, except as otherwise appears from the appended claims.

I claim'z- V i l, Stringed musical instrument comprising the convex sections to the bottom section and conforming to the contour of the edges of said sections. v

V 2; Musical instrument comprising a hollow laterally concaved resounding body of greater height at one end thereof than at the other end, a sloping topicover portion inclined in the direction of the neck part of the body, two longitudinally extending, substantially similar and uniformly curved outwardly convex adjacently disposed sections of said cover portion and a uniformly curved bottom portion of the resounding body, and strings disposed upon the top cover portion and side walls connecting the cover portion to the bottom portion and conforming to the contour of the edges of said portions. g r

3. Musical instrument comprising a sub; stantially box-shaped hollow substantially rectangular and marginally arched resounding body, a comparatively narrow neck-bar on said body in the longitudinal direction t iereof, auniformly transversely arched bottom part on said body and two adjacently disposed transversely outwardly arched convex sections constituting the top portion of said body and a bridge piece straddling the separating groove between the two convexed top sections and strings on saidneck-part supported on the bridge and marginally curved side walls, connecting the bottom part to the top portion.

4. In a musical instrument a top portion comprising two ad acently disposed and lon gitudinally subdivided outwardly convex sections, depressed concave portions at the marginal part of said top portion, a uniformly transversely curved bottom portion and strip. like side walls connecting the top portion to the bottom portion and constituting a resounding body and sounding means on said body. I

5. In a stringed musical instrument a longitudinally divided. top portion 7 comprising two adjacently disposed outwardly convexe d longitudinal sections and marginal undulatory depressed portions on said top portion, a uniformly curved bottom portion and side walls connecting the top portion .to the bottom portion and of greater height at the chin portion of the instrument than at the neck portion thereof and a handle-shaped neck-bar at said neck portion in alinement'with the dividing linebetween the outwardly convex longitudinal sections. 7 o

6; In a stringed musical instrument a hollow resounding box of substantially rectangular marginally curved shape and; comprising a longitudinally inclined bisectional top portion having'two longitudinallyextending adjacent outwardly convex sections, a strengthening bar a the oining line of said sections and a bridge piece transversely disposed and straddling said str ngthening bar and seated upon the adjacent portions of the convex sections, and a transversely arched uniformly curved bottom portion of the resounding box and amargin ally curved border strip connecting said top portion to the bottom portion.

' EMANUEL MOOR. 

